Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

Gradually the individual becomes trapped by their addiction as they
cling to whatever refuge they have discovered, as though it were the
only way to manage the pain of being human.
According to Buddhism, people resort to addictions, not because they
are morally weak or physically diseased, but out of a misguided
(“ignorant”) intense form of attachment to something that appears to
offer refuge or temporary immunity from suffering. They want what
everyone wants: well being, freedom from pain, an experience of
transcending the confines of their lives. But they are simply going
about things in a misguided way. They want to avoid suffering; they
fail to see that it is their addiction is causing most of their suffering.
All of the practices involved in mindfulness training (e.g. yoga, sitting
and walking meditation, body-scan, self-monitoring) are designed to
enable a person to track the dynamics of their addictive thoughts,
feelings and behaviour and to see them for what they are. Through
facing the truth of what they do when they allow themselves become
swept up n these behaviours, from a stable position of being
grounded in the present moment and connected to their bodily
experience, they discover they have choices other than to yield to the
seduction of addiction.
Specifically, the potential benefits of mindfulness to a person in
recovery include the following:
1) Mindfulness training teaches the client to develop a detached
awareness of the thoughts and cravings, without over-identifying with
them to the extent they feel compelled to give in to their cravings. He
or she learns to relate (with kindness) to their inner cognitive and
emotional dynamics without having to react to them.
2) The practice of mindfulness enables the client to see that every
human experience is impermanent. Through observing their minds,
they notice that their thoughts, feelings and sensations are constantly
changing. Pleasant sensations and images rise and pass; and the same
is true of unpleasant experiences. This insight is liberating for the
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